ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: season · spell · wave · last · nail · court · racket · pound

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. last — finally
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. pound — a weight
  5. court — for sport
  6. last — final
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. spell — letters
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. court — of a king
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. last — to go on
  15. season — of the year
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. spell — magic
  21. season — in sport
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. spell — a short time
  24. pound — for dogs

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com